• Format: Xbox 360 (version reviewed), PS3, PC
• Unleashed: Out Now
• Publisher: EA
• Developer: Visceral Games
• Players: 1 (offline), 2-8 (online)
• Site: deadspace.ea.com

With Dead Space 2, you could make a case that there’s something off about the way videogames are evolving. Here we have a game about a guy in a space suit that fights monsters for hours on end, and yet it is one of the most emotional rollercoaster rides the medium has seen. Sure, those emotions are often fear, tension, anger and despair, but they’re still uncharacteristic of an art form that rarely goes beyond simple fun.

Dead Space 2 is often an unpleasant game to play – it’s so relentless with its atmosphere that it’s difficult to play for long stretches of time without taking a break. This isn’t necessarily anything new for the series, as the original Dead Space was often just as tense; but the sequel makes so many clever tweaks that its formula for tension is much more potent.

The most substantial change is in the pacing. Dead Space 2 is much more dynamic than its predecessor, with as much creepy downtime as intense action. The developers show restraint in all the right places, with sections where nothing happens that are almost more terrifying than the rooms full of enemies. Countering the moments of quiet suspense are some fantastic action scenes that provide some unhinged action hero bravado courtesy of protagonist Isaac Clarke.

Speaking of our hero, Isaac has gone from a silent vessel for your own adventure to a talkative, three-dimensional character. Developer Visceral has done some amazing work keeping Isaac simple and down-to-earth while telling a much more personal tale. There are moments where he’ll say so much with nothing but a simple desperate exhale or some strained dialogue. Isaac has been through hell, and there are few games that have made a hero more convincing.

You’ll go through that hell with him, and it will be more hellish if you dare to tackle the game’s higher difficulties. Dead Space 2 handles its difficulty options less strictly than the first game, allowing players to change difficulty mid-game if they want. Because of that, we suggest bumping up the difficulty as high as you can handle. Even at the highest difficulty level, the game isn’t overly punishing – rather, it almost perfectly leaves you in a constant state of despair, with less than a clip in each gun and a single med kit to keep you going.

Much like the first game, in the right conditions – namely, surround sound at night – Dead Space 2 is a transcendental experience. There’s so much care put into each atmosphere-drenched environment, and the soundscape is so rich and dynamic that playing the game starts to feel like submitting yourself to sensory torture. Once again Visceral proves they are the masters of the audio mix with violent, bold range that makes the combat booming and powerful.

Pulling all of these elements together, the game is an exhausting journey that pushes the boundaries of the typical, triple-A, mainstream videogame. There’s no doubt the production values are through the roof, or that the game is ridiculously polished, but it’s also willing to throw encounters at you that intentionally push you to your limits. The final chapter of the game is a masterstroke of ammo scarcity and enemy tenacity that’s sure to leave you frazzled.

There’s very little to complain about with Dead Space 2, especially by the end when you look back at the journey as a whole. We can think of few games that take you on such an incredible rollercoaster ride – only Half-Life 2 comes to mind, and that’s some great company to be in. Yes, there’s a weak area here and there, and the storytelling can be a bit uneven at times, leaving much of the real plot for the end; and we kind of wish some of the dialogue was easier to understand without subtitles on, but these are niggles at the end of the day.

What puts Dead Space 2 over the edge is that its shoe-horned, afterthought multiplayer isn’t an afterthought at all. Sure, it’s not too different from versus mode in Left 4 Dead, and the handful of maps means it might only entertain for a couple of weeks – but it’s also incredibly polished and fun. Unlike Bioshock 2, which felt too much like it was betraying itself with its multiplayer mode, Dead Space 2′s multiplayer couldn’t be more faithful to the main game.

The multiplayer pits four humans against four Necromorphs. The humans must complete objectives while the Necromorphs impede their progress. If you enjoy the combat in Dead Space, you’ll be right at home here because it’s identical. There’s almost nothing you do in the single player combat that you can’t do in multiplayer, so you can stomp away to your heart’s content. Necromorphs are the unique ones, with fun abilities like crawling on walls and ceilings or performing violent executions.

From the powerful ups and downs of the single-player, to the consistent fun of the multiplayer, Dead Space 2 starts off 2011 with an unforgettable journey that’s sure to be remembered when game of the year discussions roll around in this crowded year. It pushes the medium forward in unexpected ways, transcending fun and becoming the kind of challenging entertainment that makes it more than just playing a game.

• Format: PS3 (version reviewed), 360, PSP
  
• Unleashed: Out Now
• Publisher: EA
  
• Developer: Visceral Games
  
• Players: 1
• Site: www.dantesinferno.com

Eyebrows were raised and eyes cynically narrowed (though sadly not simultaneously) when this game was first announced. A videogame based on Dante Alighieri’s epic 14 century poem The Divine Comedy? Seriously? Is the end result divine… or an unintentional comedy?

You take control of Christian soldier Dante, on his way back from a relaxing time killing foreigners in the Crusades. He returns home (after killing Death with His own scythe – no, really) to find both the woman he loves (Beatrice) and his father murdered. Worse still, Lucifer has claimed Beatrice’s soul – and this is apparently Dante’s fault. So he ventures into Hell, where he is forced to face the true extent of his sins in order to absolve Beatrice – and, perhaps, himself.

Naturally, this involves repeatedly hitting hundreds of ugly beasties with something long and pointy.

We all know the score: a God of War style beat ‘em up where you walk along gorily killing dozens of enemies a minute. One button for light attacks, one for heavy, another to block, use the right stick to dodge, finish off strong enemies via QTEs. There’s also a holy cross projectile attack, and magic – both offensive and defensive – to unlock and cast. Use the ‘souls’ you collect from enemies and objects to upgrade your character and his attacks in the menu.

You know when you've been tangoed.

Nonetheless, it would be ruthlessly unfair to dismiss Dante’s Inferno as a mediocre clone of half a dozen other games. The battle system may be a well worn one, but it’s put to good use here. You can get through most of the game by simply mashing buttons if you wish, but more satisfying combat can and will come from carefully timing your dodges and blocks, and then unleashing a combo or counter of your own (though it must be said, some enemies and situations don’t allow this). There are also regular simple – yet enjoyable – puzzle and platforming sections; plus the ubiquitous QTE sequences.

Repetition is the most common problem in this type of game. Although repetition is the most common problem in this type of game, Dante’s Inferno stays fresh by ensuring no one style of play lasts for too long. This avoids repetition, which is the most common problem in this type of game. Each of the nine circles of Hell also allows one or two new enemy types to be introduced on a regular basis, which helps stave off repetition. Which, as you may know, is the most common problem in this type of game.

Visceral Games have, admirably, stayed as faithful to the poem as is reasonable (because let’s face it; a blindly faithful adaptation would’ve been a mess). Each of the nine circles is designed in accordance with Alighieri’s descriptions to at least some extent, and even the plot stays in line with the original text by a fair amount. Direct quotes come in the loading screens and from your ‘guide’ in Hell, the poet Virgil. Glowing blue as he does however, he may unfortunately seem to you like a lanky, severe Smurf. Or perhaps it’s just us.

Her very soul is being corrupted by the prince of darkness; and yet still she asks 'does my bum look big in this?'.

One very interesting gameplay element comes courtesy of the twenty seven ‘Shades of The Inferno’. These are individual damned souls (most of whom we recognised as historical figures – presumably they all are) who you have the power to either ‘Punish’, or ‘Absolve’. Press the button to interact and you grab them by the throat, with a brief description of the sins they committed in life appearing on screen.

Though this is never explicitly stated you, the player, make a judgement on their lives. Were their actions, in your eyes, actually sins? The Shades range from the inarguably evil to the arguably innocent. And if so, were they bad enough for them to deserve to suffer in Hell for all eternity? Do you Punish them, inflicting yet more pain; or Absolve them, forgiving them their sins and allowing them to ascend to Heaven? Punishment and absolution also act as finishing moves for certain enemies; but as you have no background information whatsoever on them, your choice in battle will be swayed by whether you want ‘Holy’ XP or ‘Unholy’ XP (the two paths open up different upgrades and moves).

Hell itself is impressively atmospheric. The blasphemous, tragic, and threatening areas are all very well designed aesthetically, as are the enemies; and it all runs silky smooth from start to finish. The music is very well accompanied by the roars of your enemies and the wails of the damned who, incidentally, constitute the climbable sections of wall.

Surprisingly perhaps, the bosses disappoint. They’re strangely unsatisfying to fight; you feel as though you’re simply up against a normal enemy with a particularly long health bar, rather than doing virtual battle with one of the lords of Hell. The final battle with Lucifer, in particular, forsakes inventiveness for length. This needlessly drawn out fight is so long, it has two checkpoints.

So it’s not perfect but importantly, it is fun, and if you want all of the achievements or trophies, you won’t mind playing through a second time to get them. It’s quite a short game however, with your first (and possibly only) playthrough lasting you perhaps 7 – 9 hours. Still, Dante’s Inferno avoids the most common problem in this type of game, which is repetition.

• Format:Wii
• Unleashed: Out Now
• Publisher: EA
• Developer: Visceral Games
• Players: 1-2
• Site: http://deadspace.ea.com/

The original Dead Space was essentially a refinement of Resident Evil 4. In that sense, Dead Space Extraction is a more ambitious title, opting to tackle an entire genre. In almost every way it succeeds, offering up the finest light-gun shooter yet.

EA has billed Extraction as a “guided experience”, separating the game from simplistic arcade shooters like Virtua Cop, House of the Dead, and Time Crisis. While these popular series have made subtle advancements over the years, they never really graduated beyond brief, coin-munching entertainment. Extraction earns its distinction by eschewing arcade simplicity in favour of thoughtful, rewarding combat.

Taking a page from the first Dead Space, combat is based around dismembering monsters with a variety of weapons. You do this by aiming an on-screen cursor with the Wii remote and firing with the B trigger. In that way, Extraction can sometimes feel more like a point-and-click adventure than a shooter. It leverages this aspect with some tricky mini games that fit well within the narrative of a mining colony in deep space.

Using your suit’s telekinesis ability, you’ll also spend a lot of time grabbing at the environment. Gun upgrades, health, and ammo are all hidden in the background and you’ll spend almost as much time aiming for those as you’ll spend aiming at monsters. You’ll even collect the occasional note or voice recording which, although cool for playing out of the Wii remote speaker, are often missed among all the action and chaos.

Just like the first game, ammo is in short supply for most of your guns. You’ll always have one pea-shooter with unlimited ammo, and a melee attack to fight back monsters; but these are last-ditch options at best. This creates some uniquely stressful moments when you’re down to your last few bullets. Suddenly every shot counts, and you must use every tool at your disposal – the experience feels unlike any of the trigger-happy light-gun shooters that have preceded it.

And that’s only some of what makes combat in Extraction so unique. Shortly into the game, you’ll come across a stasis module that allows you to slow down enemies. Stasis can only be used on three targets before it needs to cool down, which adds a strategic aspect to picking out the most immediate threats.

Weapon selection is another huge game-changer for the genre. Sure, you’d pick up the occasional machine gun in Time Crisis, but Extraction allows you to carry three unique weapons at a time, each with alternate fire. Flamethrowers, short-range buzzsaws, and rolling mines are just a sample of the variety. Switching between them with a flick of the analogue stick, and mixing and matching weapon combos, is unbelievably satisfying.

But sophisticated combat is only half of what earns this game its “guided experience” moniker. Extraction stands above the pack by genuinely utilising the advantages of an on-rails experience. Imagine the scripted moments in Modern Warfare, Bioshock, or Half-Life, and then expand those moments into a six hour-long adventure. The result is not unlike taking part in a very long, big-budget, sci-fi/action movie.

The game begins as a prequel to the original Dead Space, casting you as one of the miners on the Aegis VII colony. Things go wrong fast and the colony is quickly overrun with monsters. From there you’ll bounce between roles over the course of ten chapters, making several friends along the way.

This is where Extraction takes a departure from the original game. It’s not nearly as much of a solitary experience – you actually spend almost the entirety of the game with a handful of survivors. Their banter is always a lot of fun and the trouble they get themselves into really keeps the pace up. If the characterization in the original Dead Space didn’t do anything for you, this one might not change your mind, but it’s still a marked improvement.

It helps that despite being on the Wii, character models have held up surprisingly well. The brilliantly animated cast feel realistic because they maintain that substantial and solid feel they had in the original Dead Space. The environments around them seem to be a bit more muddy as a result, but it’s a fair trade-off. What the setting lacks in graphical fidelity it makes up with little touches. When returning to areas from the first game, it’s clear where you are. Extraction is incredibly faithful to its predecessor in a way that fans will really enjoy.

Towards the end of this roller coaster ride, the gameplay really hits its stride. You’ll have your favourite weapons figured out and combat will become more and more rewarding. But then it ends. While Extraction offers up one of the finest Wii-exclusive experiences and is easily the best, longest light-gun shooter ever, it still clocks in a bit short. You can take on the challenge mode and aim for a high score, or play with a buddy in two-player co-op, but both of those options feel counter to the core, story-driven game.

Regardless, it’s an extremely polished thrill-ride that pushes a dying genre forward in significant ways. If you don’t mind a short adventure that’s worth returning to again and again, it’s hard to go wrong with Dead Space Extraction.

9/10

EA and Visceral Games have today confirmed the somewhat inevitable sequel to 2008′s Dead Space. The sequel, imaginatively titled Dead Space 2 sees us stepping once more into the shoes of engineer Isaac Clarke as he takes the fight to the vicious Necromorphs.

The press release promises that Isaac will be calling the shots this time around and we can’t help but wonder if that will diminish the sense of survival and the chilling atmosphere of the first game. Either way we’re looking forward to getting our hands once more on one of 2008s most entertaining weapons – the plasma cutter, as we dismember our alien foes and navigate Zero Gravity and other obstacles.

No news yet on a release date, but it’ll be hitting PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, check out the official site if you have a craving for further knowledge.

Not content with finishing up Dante’s Inferno and starting work on Dead Space 2, the worst kept secret sequel in the industry, Visceral Games are rumoured to have begun working on a brand new project based on the Jack The Ripper lore.

While there is hardly any solid info available at the moment, gaming site Destructoid have published some rumours regarding the game’s concept. These sources claim that the game will portray Jack slightly differently from what we’re used to. Instead of a cunning serial killer, hell-bent on slimming down the ranks of London’s prostitutes, he is instead a demon slayer whose job is to protect people rather than hack them to juicy bits.

This is a concept not a million miles away from the 2004 Hugh Jackman action romp Van Helsing, but hopefully Visceral’s finished product will somewhat exceed that of the Jackman film. Until Visceral or EA officially announce the game, we have very little else to report on the matter.

Read the original rumour piece on Destructoid.